This graduate beat the odds by leaving behind Skid Row for college
Kenneth Chancey is sharing his story so he can shatter preconceived notions people have about the homeless.
Chancey, 23, was homeless at 11, living on the streets before going into foster care. As he transitioned out of the system at 14, he slept on city buses in Los Angeles. "That was my lowest point, not having anywhere to go, and just saying, we're sleeping on the bus," he told ABC News. At 15, he moved into the Union Rescue Mission on L.A.'s Skid Row, living with his father and sister in a 200-square-foot room. He had a rough commute to high school, seeing fights and people using and selling drugs on the streets of Skid Row, but he kept up a 4.0 GPA and was on the track, football, and swim teams.
Chancey's hard work paid off: He earned several scholarships, and decided to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. On Saturday, he earned his bachelor's degree in political science, and is fielding several job offers — before he makes any decisions, though, he will spend one more summer working at the Inner-City Arts summer camp. It was a difficult journey, but one that Chancey knew he could complete. "I came here bare-handed," he said. "And yes it was harder than most people who are given resources...parental support. But it’s not impossible."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published